9th Cir.;
14-36056

The court of appeals affirmed a judgment. The court held that a vessel owner has a duty to take reasonable steps to inspect the vessel and its equipment before turning the vessel over to longshoremen.

Longshoreman Roger Murray suffered an electric shock when a piece of rebar he was carrying came into contact with a floodlight provided by the vessel owners. Murray suffered permanent injury as a result of the chock. He sued the vessel owners, Southern Route Maritime SA and Synergy Maritime Pvt. Ltd., under the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, alleging the owners had been negligent in turning over the ship with a faulty floodlight. The jury awarded Murray over $3.3 million for his injuries.